How Can You Make a Difference?
Below are some ideas
Write a letter: Have students write a letter to their congressional representatives expressing their views on what should be done to alleviate hunger in your community. Students can get their representatives’ contact information at TFK’s Congress Connection at timeforkids.com/congress.
Send letters, poems, artwork, or special treats to our soldiers in Bosnia or other
countries. Keep a Kindness Journal; younger kids include drawings.
¨ Make kindness posters for display in the windows of local merchants
¨ Draw Kindness Buddy names and secretly do something kind for that person during
the week. Older kids write poems, raps, songs, plays, etc.
¨ Create kindness bird feeders
¨ Bring double lunches for the week; extras given to homeless
¨ Give coffee/donuts/chocolate kisses and hugs or other goodies to crossing
guards/school bus drivers/school staff/police, firemen, etc.
¨ Create kindness posters and deliver them to city service workers with smiles and
treats
¨ Write their own stories on hearts and place them on a wall; try surrounding a large
heart with a kindness slogan on it
¨ Make banners, put up in sponsoring/participating merchants' stores thanking them for
their help
¨ Form a group of kids to help the school staff... in the cafeteria, younger kids can clean
lunch trays while older kids can patrol the aisles to give the adult monitors a break;
pick up trash or dust classrooms for the evening custodian.
¨ Create special kindness banners for display near principal's office
¨ Present signed petition to local Senator/Representative requesting state Kindness
Week. Pick up litter on school grounds.
¨ Write positive notes to another child in their class.
¨ Write letters to your mayor asking for an official community RAK Week.
¨ Write appreciation notes to their homeroom teachers.
¨ Write letters of appreciation to past teachers/school support/parents/friends who made
a difference in that child's life.
¨ Pair up during the day and read to one another.
¨ Make coupon books for parents/siblings/friends to do kind deeds/tasks for them.
¨ Older students "adopt" younger students for the day; read to them, etc.
¨ Student Council launches poster campaign; creates kindness slogan marquee.
¨ Tutors do acts of kindness for teachers for whom they tutor.
¨ Special interest clubs brings theme goodies to classrooms.
¨ List their fears related to kind acts (such as intervening when another child is being
bullied). Then divide fears into two columns: those that should stop them from doing
an act of kindness (such as being alone with a stranger), and those they can try to
overcome so that kindness can be done.
¨ Make a kindness collage for a friend from pictures and words found in magazines or
newspapers; it should tell something about that friend.
¨ List words and short phrases that could be used to describe a kind person; class
reviews to see how many different words/phrases they all came up with.
¨ Make a crossword puzzle with names of kind people from history; when puzzles
complete, discuss how each of them was kind.
¨ Forms “Kindness Gangs,” with a great name; a symbol, mascot, or color; write a
mission statement telling why gang was formed/goals/etc.; establish any rules to
follow. Write list of acts gang can do right away;
¨ Write theme/rap song using a tune they all know.
¨ Create a "smile file" with cartoons that make them smile, when a friend seems down,
give them a cartoon.
Below are some ideas
countries. Keep a Kindness Journal; younger kids include drawings.
¨ Make kindness posters for display in the windows of local merchants
¨ Draw Kindness Buddy names and secretly do something kind for that person during
the week. Older kids write poems, raps, songs, plays, etc.
¨ Create kindness bird feeders
¨ Bring double lunches for the week; extras given to homeless
¨ Give coffee/donuts/chocolate kisses and hugs or other goodies to crossing
guards/school bus drivers/school staff/police, firemen, etc.
¨ Create kindness posters and deliver them to city service workers with smiles and
treats
¨ Write their own stories on hearts and place them on a wall; try surrounding a large
heart with a kindness slogan on it
¨ Make banners, put up in sponsoring/participating merchants' stores thanking them for
their help
¨ Form a group of kids to help the school staff... in the cafeteria, younger kids can clean
lunch trays while older kids can patrol the aisles to give the adult monitors a break;
pick up trash or dust classrooms for the evening custodian.
¨ Create special kindness banners for display near principal's office
¨ Present signed petition to local Senator/Representative requesting state Kindness
Week. Pick up litter on school grounds.
¨ Write positive notes to another child in their class.
¨ Write letters to your mayor asking for an official community RAK Week.
¨ Write appreciation notes to their homeroom teachers.
¨ Write letters of appreciation to past teachers/school support/parents/friends who made
a difference in that child's life.
¨ Pair up during the day and read to one another.
¨ Make coupon books for parents/siblings/friends to do kind deeds/tasks for them.
¨ Older students "adopt" younger students for the day; read to them, etc.
¨ Student Council launches poster campaign; creates kindness slogan marquee.
¨ Tutors do acts of kindness for teachers for whom they tutor.
¨ Special interest clubs brings theme goodies to classrooms.
¨ List their fears related to kind acts (such as intervening when another child is being
bullied). Then divide fears into two columns: those that should stop them from doing
an act of kindness (such as being alone with a stranger), and those they can try to
overcome so that kindness can be done.
¨ Make a kindness collage for a friend from pictures and words found in magazines or
newspapers; it should tell something about that friend.
¨ List words and short phrases that could be used to describe a kind person; class
reviews to see how many different words/phrases they all came up with.
¨ Make a crossword puzzle with names of kind people from history; when puzzles
complete, discuss how each of them was kind.
¨ Forms “Kindness Gangs,” with a great name; a symbol, mascot, or color; write a
mission statement telling why gang was formed/goals/etc.; establish any rules to
follow. Write list of acts gang can do right away;
¨ Write theme/rap song using a tune they all know.
¨ Create a "smile file" with cartoons that make them smile, when a friend seems down,
give them a cartoon.
Write your own I Have a Dream Speech
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My Hero Lesson Plan